Best way to keep a competitive edge

Stay fresh, and never get dull. Even if customers love what you are doing, still make sure you introduce new concepts, ideas, products, etc. to your company. It is very important to listen to your customers – they are a wonderful source of what you can be doing next to enhance your company.

Exterior of S'MAC

Guiding principle in life

Don't ever forget to have fun! I think when most people meet me, they find it hard to believe that I am a "serious business owner." I even used to get questioned when I was practicing mechanical engineering how come I was an engineer who liked to have so much fun? It sounds silly, but I heard it a lot. So many people, amidst all the craziness of working and earning a living, forget what it's like to have fun. They reminisce about the "good old college days" not realizing that these days can be just as good, probably even better, if they ease up a bit and remember what their passions and interests are outside of work.

Yardstick of success

At the end of the day, are you happy? Do you still love what you do for a living? Are you able to pay the bills and have money leftover to spend on your hobbies? If you answer yes to all these questions, life is pretty darn good.

Goal yet to be achieved

Mount Everest. Does everyone say that? No, really, Caesar and I do want to acccomplish the big E. We closed up shop for a week last August and trekked in the Andes in Peru and we can't stop dreaming of where our next mountain will be. Everest won't be for awhile, we know that, but still it is a goal.

Best practical advice

Remember to trust your instincts – your gut will tell you a lot. When you don't have practical experience or any real instinct about something important in the process you are going through, enlist a professional's help. It doesn't mean you can't question the professional, and challenge them on their opinions &ndash I encourage that completely. However, be aware when you need outside help. It will save you a lot of time and mental grief.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

I had a lot of friends who thought we were crazy on our nine month journey to opening. Not a lot of them came right out and told us but you knew what they were thinking. One of the most supportive comments came from a dear friend from university. She was telling me how she told her husband that Caesar and I were opening a mac-n-cheese restaurant. He replied, "Mac-n-Cheese? As in, what we eat out of a blue box? Are you serious?" She then replied, "Yup, dead serious". He commented on how he thought it was a little crazy and she replied, "Yeah, but it's Sarita. Anyone else, no way. It'll work because it's Sarita." Now that's what I call faith in a friend's abilities.

Mentor(s) and why?

My mom, hands down. I could go on and on about why she is my mentor but I will keep it simple. She turned herself from a young woman who landed in a foreign country with limited schooling, basically a shy outsider, into a strong, brilliant woman who is one of the most positive influences on both her friends and family.

What motivated you to get started?

It felt like such a natural thing. We had never before discussed opening up a restaurant, but when I came up with the idea in casual conversation, it was like "Of course we will do this. There is no question about it."

Like best about what you do?

To see all my (and many others'!) efforts actually work towards something that people love.

Like least about what you do?

No vacation! That needs to change soon.